1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for transferring data to an external apparatus, and an output apparatus for outputting information of the data supplied from an external apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Print data such as character patterns and image data is supplied from an external apparatus such as a host computer to a printer to print it. With a conventional printer, the host computer cannot know the type and capacity of a memory of the printer in which the transmitted print data is stored. Specifically, in a conventional printer of the type that a character pattern once down-loaded from a host computer is used when a character code is received thereafter, there occurs the problem that the host computer cannot know at all the type and capacity of a memory such as a non-volatile memory and an ordinary volatile memory.
The host computer therefore cannot know how much character patterns can be transmitted to the printer and what available capacity an alterable non-volatile memory still has. As a result, there may occur a case wherein a character pattern cannot be printed after it was transmitted and a print instruction was executed, or the host computer is informed that a transmitted character pattern is not being stored in the printer, only after an error message is returned. Under such conditions, the host computer is required to transmit same character patterns each time a print is executed, or alternatively a non-volatile memory of unnecessarily large capacity is required to be provided in the printer.
Along with the above, motors of a printer and a hard disk drive have been activated independently and randomly. It is therefore necessary for a motor power source to have a current capacity allowing to activate all motors at the same time.
For example, the drive current and time of a general motor has a relationship as shown in FIG. 14 wherein I1 is a drive current required at the initial stage of motor activation, and I2 is a drive current required at the steady stage of motor operation which is generally half the current I1. It is therefore necessary to use a power source with a current capacity of I1xc3x972 for allowing a drive motor for a printer photosensitive drum and a hard disk drive motor at the same time. This current capacity becomes large as the number of motors increases, such as 3xc3x97I1 for three motors.
Under the above circumstances, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus capable of inquiring the capacity of a memory in which transmitted data is stored, and an output apparatus capable of outputting information representing the memory capacity in response to the memory capacity inquiry from an external apparatus.
In order to solve such problems, the present invention provides an information processing apparatus comprising: setting means for setting an instruction for an inquiry of the capacity of a memory means on a data destination side; and transferring means for transferring the instruction set by the setting means to an external apparatus.
In order to solve such problems, the present invention provides an output apparatus comprising: memory means for storing data received from an external apparatus; and output means responsive to a reception of an instruction of an inquiry of the capacity of the memory means from the external apparatus, for outputting information of the capacity of the memory means to the external apparatus.
Under the above circumstances, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus capable of designating one of a plurality of memories on the data destination side and storing data in the designated memory, and an output apparatus for storing received data in the designated memory in accordance with the received memory designating information from an external apparatus.
In order to solve such problems, the present invention provides an information processing apparatus comprising: generating means for generating an instruction of designating one of a plurality of memory means on a data destination side; and transferring means for transferring the instruction generated by the generating means to an external apparatus.
In order to solve such problems, the present invention provides an output apparatus comprising: a plurality of memory means for storing data received from an external apparatus; and controlling means responsive to the reception of an instruction of designating one of the plurality of memory means and the data sent from the external apparatus, for storing the data in the designated memory means in accordance with the instruction.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an output apparatus capable of reducing the current consumed at the same time and hence the capacity of the power source, by inhibiting a plurality of motors being driven at the same time.
In order to solve such problems, the present invention provides an output apparatus comprising: a plurality of motors driven for an output process or a storage process; and inhibiting means for inhibiting, when at least one of the plurality of motors is driven, the other motors to be driven.